Crusaders overpower Lions with late burst

Canterbury Crusaders winger Sean Maitland scored two tries and flyhalf Colin Slade added 21 points with the boot to help their side to a 46-19 victory over the Lions in a Super 14 match in Christchurch on Saturday.

The Crusaders moved second in the table with the bonus-point victory, while the South African side recorded their sixth successive loss in this season’s competition

“I guess we have to be happy with that but it was a bit disappointing because we wanted to be a bit more clinical than that,” Crusaders captain Richie McCaw said in a televised interview.

“But we stuck at it and I guess five points we’re happy with.”

Slade slotted four penalties in a frantic first half, while Maitland and openside flanker Jonathan Poff scored tries after superb interplay between the Crusaders’ backs and forwards.

Lions hooker Hannes Franklin rumbled over immediately after a restart from a Crusaders successful penalty, while flyhalf Burton Francis converted the try and added three penalties to keep the Lions within sight with the score 22-16 at halftime.

Neither side was able to settle in the first 10 minutes of the second half, with Colin Slade slotting a long-range penalty before centre Adam Whitelock capitalised on a Lions turnover inside their own 22-area to score the Crusaders’ third try.

Lions fullback Earl Rose slotted a penalty before Maitland scored his second try of the match, which Slade converted, in the 75th minute to stretch the lead to 20 points before Willie Heinz crossed after the hooter had sounded and Slade converted.

“We wanted to play a bit better but we made a lot of unforced errors in that second half,” Lions captain Cobus Grobbelaar said.

“We spilled the ball and the Crusaders are very good on the counter attack and they punished us.” - Reuters